And True love means when two people fall in love and do things for each other without asking for anything back in return.
All these types of love have different effects on the play. It brings the plot forward.
Courtly love (also known as romantic love) means someone who is acting that they love someone, but they don’t really love them. An example of this is the love between Romeo and Rosaline. Romeo does not really love her. He is only imitating his love for her. Romeo is in love with the idea of being in love. His behaviour changes and spends most of his time thinking about Rosaline. For example, when he is “in love” with Rosaline, Romeo’s feelings are of sadness. He says “love is a smoke made with the fame of sighs, being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; being vexed, a sea of nourished with loving tears.” Also Friar Laurence tells Romeo that he warned him about the difference between love and infatuation. He says, “For doting, not for loving, pupil mine.”
Another example of courtly love is the love between County Paris for Juliet, which is supported by her parents. Her parents have arranged her marriage. Juliet disagrees with this proposed marriage and wants to choose her own husband.
Parental love is the love between a parent and their child. There are many examples of parental love in Romeo & Juliet. Firstly the relationship between Montague, Lady Montague and Romeo. Lady Montague loves her son, Romeo. We know this because she says “O where is Romeo? Saw you him to-day? Right glad I am he was not at this fray.” This tells me that she is relived that her son was not at the fight. Also Montague says, “Away from light steals home my heavy son, and private in his chamber pens himself shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out.” This shows that he is concerned about Romeo’s strange behaviour.
Another example of paternal love is the relationship between Capulet, Lady Capulet and Juliet. At the time Shakespeare wrote this play it was normal for parents to make decisions for their daughters. i.e. in this case, find a husband for Juliet. But Juliet did not obey her parents and her choices led to her death. Juliet is Capulets only daughter. He says, “She is the hopeful lady of my earth.” Lord Capulet first hesitates to let Paris marry Juliet. He says, “My child is yet a stranger in the world; she hath not seen the change of fourteen years; let two more summers wither in their pride.” This tells us that Capulet is worrying that Juliet is too young too marry and wants to wait another two years. Paris explains that Capulet has changed the date of Juliet’s marriage because be is concerned for her. He says, “Her father counts it dangerous that she do give her sorrow so much sway and in his wisdom hastes our marriage.” Lady Capulet shows her love for her daughter after finding her dead. She says “O me, O me! My child, my only life, Revive, look up, or I will die with thee!”
There is also an example of parental love between the nurse and Juliet. The nurse treats Juliet like her own daughter. At the time Shakespeare wrote this play, rich women normally have nurses, looking after their children. This would include breastfeeding and cleaning them. The nurse describes, at length, events when Juliet was a child. The teenager has her early embarrassment exposed. The audience, at that time, are amused because most of them have experienced this for themselves. At the end of the play the parents show their love for their children by ending the long-lasting feud and making statues to remember Romeo and Juliet.
Friar Lawrence shows signs of parental love for Romeo. He does a lot of things for Romeo, just like the nurse does for Juliet. He cares for Romeo and gives him advice.
Fraternal love I also known as friendship. An example of this is the relationship between Friar Laurence and Romeo. Friar Laurence is concerned about Romeo rushing into marriage, and as a caring friend, warns him not to rush. He says, “Wisely and slow they stumble that run fast.”
There is another relationship between Mercutio and Romeo. When Mercutio fights Tybalt he Mercutio says “O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!” This tells us that Mercutio is defending Romeo’s honour because he thinks Romeo is being a coward. Unfortunately Tybalt kills Mercutio. So then because of the relationship between Romeo and Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt.
Another example is the nurse and Romeo. She loves Romeo only out of the her love for Juliet. When she meets Romeo, the nurse warns him not to fool around with Juliet. “Let me tell ye, if you should lead her into a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behaviour.”
There is also a relationship between Mercutio and Tybalt. We know this because Mercutio does not fight Tybalt, but when Tybalt wants to fight Romeo, Mercutio fights Tybalt.
The example of True love, in this play, is the relationship Romeo and Juliet. Romeo’s love for Juliet is different from his love for Rosaline. When Romeo loved Rosaline, he was only acting that he loved her. But when he falls in love with Juliet it transforms both the characters. They fall in love at first sight at the Capulet’s Ball. This relationship is true love because once he sees Juliet, at the Capulet’s Ball, Romeo realises what true love is. He says, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, for I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.” They both get married together, by Friar Laurence, straight away. After Juliet finds out that Romeo has killed her cousin, Tybalt, Juliet chooses her husband over her family. She says, “Is Romeo slaughtered and Tybalt dead, my dearest cousin and my dearer Lord that "banished", that one word "banished, hath slain ten thousand Tybalts.” This is a sign of true love. This relationship is true love. We know this because of the conversations they have between them. We know that they would go to any lengths to see each other, because after the ball Romeo leaves his friends and goes to see Juliet. When Romeo is banished, he hears that Juliet is dead, so he comes to see her with some poison so he can kill himself if she is really dead. But when Juliet finds that Romeo’s dead body is next to her, she kills herself. So we know that they would die to be with each other. Their passions lead them to make the decisions that lead to their deaths. Their love is passionate but there is no moderation.
There are signs of true love between Friar Lawrence, the nurse, Romeo and Juliet, because they help Romeo and Juliet with their marriage, and they ask for nothing in return.
Each type of love is different and has a different affect on the play. Shakespeare does not only show true love. He includes four different types of love because they move the plot forward. They also make the characters more interesting and complete. For example, Romeo starts off being a love –struck person who is only imitating the love for Rosaline, but when he meets Juliet his behaviour changes.
In the prologue it says “A pair of star-crossed lovers, take their life”. This tells me that it is telling the reader that there will be a death, which will relate to love. The Prince’s speech at the end of the book relates to love because he says “Capulet, Montague? See what a scourge is laid upon your hate! That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love”. This is saying that the families have caused the deaths because of the hatred between them and that love has called this death.
